Hawaii participants have contributed some 42,000 shoe boxes filled with holiday goodies for children in need overseas through this year’s Operation Christmas Child, an international gift-giving program.

The Oahu chapter, which collected 28,000 gift shoe boxes, topped last year’s tally by least 300 shoe boxes.

Participants fill empty shoe boxes with small items, such as toys, school supplies and hygiene items, for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization.

Anyone who missed the operation’s “National Collection Week” last month can still virtually assemble a shoe-box gift online at samaritanspurse.org/ buildonline. Visitors to the website can select a child’s age and gender, shop through an online selection of culturally relevant gifts and upload a photo and write a note of encouragement to the child who will receive it.

Participants can find out where in the world their gifts will be delivered. The virtual-packing link also offers participants the option to challenge friends to participate or consider the gift of giving through a shoe-box gift card.

Since 1993 Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoe boxes to more than 124 million children in more than 150 countries and territories. In 2015 the program aims to deliver gifts to another 11 million children.

For more information call 714-432-7030 or visit samaritanspurse.org.

Honpa Hongwanji hosting retirement lunch for minister

A retirement luncheon will be held Sunday for Rimban Tatsuo Muneto, who has served for 50 years in leadership positions for the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

Muneto was assigned to the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, the main temple of the Shinshu Buddhist branch, four times: in 1965 as a new minister, in 1970 as director of the English Department, in 1990 as fuku-rimban (assistant head minister) and in 2012 as rimban (head minister). His retirement was effective Tuesday. Muneo plans to spend his time as a community volunteer.

Tickets for the 11:15 a.m. luncheon are $10 (including a contribution for a farewell gift) and available at the temple office, 1727 Pali Highway.

Muneto is succeeded as rimban by the Rev. Toyokazu Hagio, assistant head minister at the Betsuin temple since February 2014. A native of Kumamoto, Japan, Hagio served as head master at Waialua Hongwanji Mission, Honomu Hongwanji, Wailuku Hongwanji Mission, Waipahu Hongwanji Buddhist Temple and Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin. Hagio will review the rimban’s duties and assign responsibilities to the four Betsuin ministers.